The present invention relates to an imaging device information management system that manages information of imaging devices which are locally connected to terminals connected to a network.
Conventionally, there has been known a program called as a status monitor, which is executed on a computer to investigate and/or manage the status (e.g., on-line/off-line, busy, error, etc.) of devices (e.g., a printer or an MFP (multi-function peripheral) having a printer function) locally connected to the computer. There has also been known a program called as a maintenance tool, which is executed on a computer to manage maintenance information (e.g., remaining amount of toner or ink, remaining amount of a recording sheet, a term for exchanging a photosensitive drum, etc.) of imaging devices locally connected to the computer.
The conventional status monitor and maintenance tool have been executed locally. Recently, however, a plurality of computers are interconnected through a network, and therefore, it is desirable that the status and/or maintenance information of devices connected to respective computers are managed at a particular computer (e.g., one used by a system administrator).
In response to the above-described desire, a central management system has been suggested in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. P2000-293324A. In this publication, each computer on a network obtains status/maintenance information of locally connected imaging devices, and transmits the thus obtained information to another computer on the network.
Specifically, according to the publication, in each of the computers, an operational status of each imaging device connected to the computer is monitored, and when the operational status is changed, the computer obtains the changed status, and transmits the status to another computer which is connected to the network. Such a procedure is called as a trapping procedure in the publication. The publication also suggests a response-to-request procedure which obtains the status of the imaging device immediately when a request for such information is received from another computer through the network, and provides the obtained status information to the computer from which the request was received.
In the conventional information management system as exemplified above, the imaging devices locally connected to the computers on the network are regarded as devices connected to the network. Therefore, from the managed information, it is impossible to know to which computer each imaging device is locally connected.
Therefore, the conventional imaging device information management system is unable to output information indicative of the relationship between each computer and the imaging devices locally connected thereto as a displayed image, a printed image of a file. Therefore, the user of the system cannot know, using such a system, the relationship between the computers and locally connected imaging devices. Further, in such a system, it is impossible for a computer to request another computer for such information or to transmit such information to another computer.
Furthermore, in such a system, the computer attempts to obtain the latest status/maintenance information from the local imaging device when the trapping procedure or the response-to-request procedure is executed. According to such a system, if the response is not provided by the imaging device immediately, the computer is unable to transmit the information immediately. Therefore, the information of the imaging devices, the imaging devices, the computers to which the imaging devices are locally connected, and a managing computer should operate when the information is obtained.
For another example, in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. P2003-131858A discloses an imaging device which transmits an e-mail to a user upon occurrence of an error condition. However, according to the publication, the imaging device only transmits the information regarding the imaging device itself, and no information regarding the computer to which the imaging device is connected. Therefore, when receives the e-mail message from the imaging device, the user cannot identify the computer connected with the imaging device.